Breathless (Seven Brides Seven Brothers Pelican Bay Book 1)

by Belle Calhoune

  Parker needed to deal with the pressing issue at hand. He couldn’t keep Cadence and Logan out of sight for much longer.

  “C’mon, everyone. In the kitchen,” he said, shepherding everyone into the kitchen.

  “Hey, what’s up? Is this about Mom and Dad?” Micah asked as they all filed in.

  “What’s wrong?” Shayla asked. “You’re scaring me. Did someone die?”

  “No,” Parker said, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. “Stop asking that!”

  Seven pairs of eyes were trained on him. Jason nodded at him, sending him a signal to start talking.

  “I have some news,” Parker said. “And it might really shock you.”

  “Are you getting married?” Caleb blurted out.

  “No,” Parker responded. “I’m not getting married.”

  “Not yet anyway,” Jason murmured, earning himself a glare from Parker.

  “I hope you’re not moving,” Nash said. “It’s great having everyone right here in Pelican Bay.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” Parker said. “There’s no easy way to say this, but I’m a father. I have a two-year-old son.”

  “The people who truly love you will never forsake you.”

  Daniel Donahue

  Chapter Eight

  Shocked gasps rang out in the room at Parker’s announcement. It was as if a bomb had gone off in the room. Several jaws dropped. Questions began flying around the room. The kitchen was filled with chaos.

  “Calm down everyone,” Jason called out, holding up his hands. “Give him some breathing room so he can explain everything.”

  Parker sucked in a deep breath. How could he succinctly explain everything to his siblings? It was such a convoluted story. He wasn’t even sure he understood it himself.

  Lord, give me strength.

  “His name is Logan. And Cadence is his mother,” Parker explained, trying to keep his voice as calm as possible.

  “What?” Shayla exploded. She vehemently shook her head. Her blonde hair swung around her shoulders. “That can’t be true.”

  Nash turned toward Shayla. “Parker doesn’t lie. It has to be true.”

  Shayla had a fierce expression etched on her face. Parker could tell she was ready to explode. Hurricane Shayla was about to sweep through Pelican Bay.

  Daniel let out a low whistle. “Aren’t you full of surprises, big bro?”

  “Wait a minute. This sounds crazy,” Caleb said, scratching his jaw.

  “I just found out. It’s not something I’ve been hiding.” He couldn’t help but grin. He was Logan’s dad! “But I’m happy. Over the moon joyful about being a father.”

  “And Logan’s a really cool kid,” Jason said, grinning at Parker. “He’s the spitting image of Parker.”

  “Wait!” Daniel said, frowning. “You’ve met him already?”

  Several pairs of eyes stared at Parker with recrimination. He held up his hands. “Hold on a second. It’s a long story—too convoluted to discuss at the moment, but Jason was helping me on a case. We headed out to California together to track down a lead. Long story short, it involved Logan.”

  “You don’t need to explain anything to us,” Nash said. “Everyone just needs to chill out.”

  “I can’t believe you have a kid,” Heath muttered, his voice filled with wonder.

  Parker chuckled. “Truth to be told, I’m still a little shaken by it. It seems almost too good to be true. But God is good. He gives us the desires of our heart when we least expect it.”

  “When can we meet him?” Shayla asked. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. For the moment her outrage had been snuffed out at the prospect of meeting her nephew.

  “Right now as a matter of fact.” Parker jerked his chin toward the door. “He’s in the living room as we speak.”

  “Then what are we doing in here?” Caleb asked, moving toward the doorway. “I want to meet my nephew.”

  Parker chuckled at his brother’s enthusiasm. “Wait a second. You can’t all go in there like a herd of elephants. He’ll get scared.”

  “Come on, Parker. Stop being so over protective,” Daniel said. “We grew up in a rowdy, big family. Logan will be fine.”

  “Trust us,” Nash said, nodding at him “We know how to act.”

  Parker swung his gaze around at all of his siblings. He didn’t want any of them to think he didn’t trust them. Because he loved them more than words could ever express. He prayed Cadence wouldn’t be upset with him for the tornado that was about to swirl around their son.

  He held up his hand. “Okay. But here’s how it’s going to go. I’m going to enter the room first. Logan is still getting to know me. He doesn’t know who I am other than a guy who’s been around him a lot over the past week or so. Hopefully soon he’ll be calling me Daddy.”

  “Oh, Parker,” Shayla said, dabbing at her eyes. “You’re going to make me cry.”

  Micah reached over and grabbed his sister’s hand.

  “You guys are going to follow me slowly…and stand back so he doesn’t get overwhelmed. We’ll play it by ear and see how he reacts. Can you guys do that?” Parker asked, swinging his gaze around the group.

  Everyone nodded enthusiastically and agreed to Parker’s rules. With a tight feeling in his chest Parker led his siblings into the living room. Slowly but surely he introduced his siblings to his son. And suddenly, there wasn’t a dry eye in the Donahue household.

  **

  Dinner with the Donahue’s was an interesting affair. For the first time in three years she held hands around the table with the Donahue family and prayed over the food Penelope and Jude had so lovingly prepared. Cadence couldn’t deny the awkwardness she felt despite Jude and Penelope’s warmth and kindness. Jason had mellowed towards her and tried his best to engage her. A part of her felt like she was coming home after a long absence. The Donahue home had always made her feel loved and nurtured.

  If only some of the Donahue siblings hadn’t seemed so uncomfortable with her being present at dinner. Shayla couldn’t hide her glares. Daniel stared at her as if she was a science experiment. Caleb kept shooting her curious looks as if he couldn’t quite figure out what she was up to. Thankfully, everyone seemed crazy about Logan. She was so proud of her son. He’d pretty much held it together all evening, despite seeing more faces all at once than he had seen in the last few weeks combined.

  After dinner, Parker was down on the carpet in the living room playing Thomas the train with Logan. Parker was making a high pitched sound for one of the trains, much to Logan’s delight. The look of joy on Logan’s face nearly made her knees buckle. The corner of his eyes were crinkled with mirth and he was laughing in a boisterous tone. He couldn’t take his eyes off his father. Her son was in sheer heaven. Parker was gazing at Logan as if their son might disappear before his very eyes. There was such a look of longing etched on Parker’s handsome face. Cadence let out a sob and raised her hand to cover her mouth so no one would hear her. Knowing she was close to breaking down, Cadence backed away from the entryway and, with her eyes blinded with tears, beat a fast path outside to the patio. Once she stepped outside into the sultry night air, Cadence couldn’t hold back the tide of tears.

  She was crying for the choice she’d made three years ago—one she wasn’t sure about in retrospect. No matter how much she tried to stop herself from sobbing, the tears just wouldn’t stop flowing. It was as if she was crying for the last three years of pain and loss and devastation all at once.

  She was mourning the loss of the love she and Parker had shared. They’d been robbed of the opportunity to raise their son together. And Parker hadn’t been able to bear witness to Logan coming into the world like a lion. And even though she hadn’t talked much about it, Mason’s cruelty had worn her down over the course of three years. She’d been traumatized by his actions and she wasn’t sure if she would ever fully recover.

  Where was the young woman who had been full of hope and the promise of tomorrow?

&n
bsp; Watching Parker with Logan had caused a myriad of emotions to rise up inside of her. Cadence had felt an incredible amount of joy at finally seeing the two of them together and bonding as father and son. Logan was too young to fully comprehend that Parker was his father, but she knew instinctively he felt a pull in Parker’s direction. The more she taught him to use the word Daddy for Parker, the quicker he would put the pieces together.

  She was in disbelief that her nightmare had finally ended with Mason. He couldn’t hurt her anymore. She felt so much sadness for all the time that had been lost. And the might-have-beens if she’d made different choices. She was still beating herself up about choosing to kowtow to Mason’s threats and demands.

  “Hey, there.” All of a sudden, Cadence heard a soothing voice behind her. Before she knew it, Parker’s mother was patting her on the back and trying to make her feel better. “Cadence, please don’t cry. I’m very susceptible to tears. All a person has to do is cry in my presence and I’m done for. When the kids were little it used to wreck me whenever they cried. Skinned knees. Broken dates. Failed exams. I’d be blubbering right along with them.”

  Cadence looked into Penelope’s warm, caring eyes. Penelope wrapped her arms around Cadence and rocked her gently as if she was a baby. Cadence felt slightly embarrassed, but she wasn’t about to let go of this amazing woman.

  It felt so nice to be embraced by a member of the Donahue family. So far everyone was treating her like she had a communicable disease. If this continued, Logan would pick up on the terrible vibes as he grew older. How would she ever explain it all to her son? Maybe he would hate her too.

  “I blew it, Penelope. Three years ago I had everything I’d ever dream of with Parker. We were in love and working toward a solid future together. And I was pregnant even though I didn’t know it when I ended things with him. I thought I was doing the right thing. Now, all I can see is how many mistakes I made.”

  Penelope caressed her cheek.

  “You’re human, love. We all make errors. And I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making a decision that kept Parker alive. You can’t second guess yourself, Cadence. What you did was an act of love. Was there a way you could have handled it differently? Of course. In life there are always different paths. The path you took was the one you thought was best at the time.”

  Cadence vigorously nodded her head. “I really did. With all my heart and soul, I thought I was protecting the man I loved.”

  Penelope narrowed her gaze. “Do you still love my son?” she asked.

  Cadence ducked her head. She shifted from one foot to another. She hadn’t imagined Penelope would put her on the spot like this. But Penelope Donahue had always been a straight shooter, much like Parker.

  “I-I do,” Cadence admitted, lifting her head up so she could see Penelope’s reaction. Cadence was gifted with a beatific smile. “I’ll always love Parker.”

  Penelope pressed her hands against her chest. “Oh, Cadence. It makes me so happy to hear that.”

  Cadence laughed. “Really? I don’t think the rest of your family would agree with you on that.”

  Penelope waved a hand in the air. “Don’t mind them. They’re being protective of their big brother. They all think Parker hung the moon, and they always have. Probably always will,” she said with a chuckle. “Sooner or later they’ll mellow out toward you. After all, you’re Logan’s mama.”

  “I want them to feel the way about me that they used to,” Cadence admitted. It hurt so badly to see the looks on their faces, as if they could barely stand the sight of her.

  “So, are you going to tell Parker? That you still love him?” Penelope asked.

  “I can’t. I have no idea if he still has feelings for me. It would be too painful to open myself up to rejection.” It was hard for Cadence to admit her insecurities, but there had always been something soothing about Penelope. She made it easy to confide in her.

  “Oh but honey, what if he’s been waiting for you to say those magical words? What if taking a step toward him leads to reconciliation? Can you really afford to let this opportunity pass you by?”

  Cadence bit her lip. So much had passed her by. Sometimes it seemed as if everyone else was living a life while she was watching from the outside. Logan brought her so much joy, and she knew he was a happy child, but there was something missing in her life. And there had always been something missing in Logan’s life. Parker.

  Claiming her happiness! That’s what Penelope was talking about. In order to do so she needed to bridge the divide that stood between them. She didn’t have a clue as to how to do it. Years had gone by. She’d changed. And so had Parker. But did people who’d once loved each other ever really change in the ways that mattered most of all? Could she live with herself if she didn’t reach out for the brass ring?

  “Thank you for coming out here and speaking with me.” Cadence leaned in and kissed Penelope on the cheek. “You have no idea how much I appreciate your kindness.”

  “We girls gotta stick together,” she said with a wink, leading Cadence by the hand back into the house.

  As soon as she walked back into the living room, Parker shot her a look infused with curiosity. His brows were knitted together. Cadence knew he was wondering where she’d escaped to with his mother. Some things weren’t meant to be shared. Her conversation with Penelope had been intimate and meaningful. She knew Penelope wouldn’t tell Parker that she was still in love with him. It wasn’t Penelope’s way to betray a confidence. And she loved her for it, along with a hundred other reasons.

  There was so much to square away between her and Parker. She felt as if she needed to allow him the opportunity to ask her any and all questions he needed to ask in order to clear the air. Perhaps then they could move toward the future. Or at least test the waters. Parker Donahue was the best man she’d ever known and the only one she could ever imagine loving. They had a child together, one who deserved to be a part of a loving family unit.

  Was she being pie in the sky in hoping for a second chance with Parker? Was it possible that there was a glimmer of hope for the two of them?

  Dear Lord, please don’t allow me to cling to false hope. I love Parker now just as much as I did three years ago. Show me the way to let him know I still love him. And if he still loves me as well, grant us the strength to find our way back to each other.

  **

  On the drive back to his house after spending the evening with his family, Parker’s thoughts were full of the future. The evening had gone well. He smiled at the recollection of his family’s joy over meeting Logan. They had worn their hearts on their sleeves. And Logan had been a trouper. He’d really taken to everyone, especially his parents and Shayla. He’d already developed a bond with Jason during their trip to Sonoma. He hadn’t missed the way a few of his siblings had treated Cadence and it made his blood boil. The very idea of someone mistreating the mother of his child was upsetting. At one point this evening he’d had to bring Shayla to a private area of the house in order to scold her about her treatment of Cadence.

  “What do you think you’re doing?” he’d asked her in a harsh tone.

  She’d folded her arms across her chest, appearing mutinous. He shouldn’t be surprised. Not really. Suddenly she looked like the two-year-old version of herself.

  She’d jutted her chin out. “What are you talking about?”

  “You know exactly what I’m talking about, Shayla Rose Donahue. You’re acting really rudely toward Cadence. It’s obnoxious.”

  “Ha! I’m obnoxious? I don’t see the need to roll out the red carpet for the woman who ripped your heart apart.”

  His heart had melted a bit. Since when had his little sister been so protective of him?

  He’d reached out and caressed her cheek. “Shay, I appreciate your concern and the fact that you’re willing to fight my battles, but she’s the mother of my son. I know it’s going to sound crazy, but a lot of what she did was for me. To protect me.”

 
“Protect you? From what?” she’d asked with a deep frown.

  Parker had broken down everything for her regarding Mason Price, his threats, Keith’s death and their subsequent divorce, followed by Mason’s abduction of Logan. By the time he finished, Shayla was in tears.

  “I can’t believe I acted so awful,” she’d cried out.

  “Just do better from this point forward,” he’d told her, softening his voice.

  They’d hugged it out and for the rest of the evening Shayla’s behavior had been less hostile. She had even exchanged a hug with Cadence at the end of the night. Cadence had looked suspiciously in his direction, as if sensing he’d had something to do with her change in attitude.

  At the moment he could feel the heat of her gaze as he drove them back home.

  “So, what did you say to Shayla?” Cadence asked, turning toward him from the front passenger seat.

  “What makes you think I said something?” he asked, his lips twitching with mirth. Cadence had always been able to figure out his moves a few steps before he’d made them.

  “Did you?” she pressed.

  He cast a quick glance in her direction, then turned back to focus on the road ahead.

  “I might have told her to chill out.”

  “I wish you hadn’t, Parker. We would have worked it out over time rather than you pushing her to be nice to me.” Cadence’s voice was full of irritation.

  Parker gripped the steering wheel tightly. He clenched his jaw. “Are you really annoyed because I wanted to improve the situation?”

  For a few seconds, there was silence in the car.

  “I’m sorry. My emotions are all over the place,” Cadence said in a quiet voice. “I suppose I just wanted to fix things with Shayla myself, not because you shamed her into being nice to me.” She let out a sigh. “We used to have such a great relationship. She was truly the little sister I never had growing up.”

  Parker steered the car into his driveway and parked in his pebbled driveway. He looked in the rearview mirror. Logan was sleeping peacefully in his car seat. The very sight of him resting so comfortably made Logan’s heart swell. He couldn’t get enough of him. It felt like he’d just learned to love, even though he knew he had been madly in love with Cadence. Although he’d always thought of that love in the past tense, he now knew it wasn’t true. He still loved Cadence. And the love he now felt for her was magnified by his son’s existence. It awed and humbled him to think of her giving birth to his son and bringing such a miracle into the world.